Borders Book Festival - where words come alive

The Borders Book Festival claims to be one of Scotland's premier literary events, with some justification. The first time the Book Festival was staged, in 2004, it was little more than a pilot. Four authors came to the Wynd Theatre and fewer than 300 people came to listen to them, filling almost every seat in the tiny auditorium.

By 2007 the festival had moved to Harmony House and Garden, the National Trust for Scotland's stunning Georgian property in Melrose, and audiences rocketed to more than 5,000 and have been growing ever since.

2016 - A packed programme of events for all – Jonathan Dimbleby will talk about a wonderful new book, Evelyn Glennie, the world’s greatest percussionist performs a groundbreaking new work, Sara Pascoe will make us laugh when she talks about her new book Animal, and hours before lockdown, the great Phill Jupitus finds a Melrose-sized gap in his diary and he will join us in the magic garden at Harmony House in Melrose. Gregor Fisher and Frederick Forsyth will be there with their new autobiographies. The European Union referendum happens only 4 days after the festival and the debate will have contributions from Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, Jim Sillars and Michael Forsyth. And there will be loads more tremendous events and sessions